Zoinks, A&J’s Halloween House Hits 10 Years Fundraising for Pathfinders
Beloved Bay View Halloween attraction hopes to raise at least $16,000 this spooky season with Scooby Doo theme.
A&J’s Halloween House. Photo taken Oct. 16, 2025 by Graham Kilmer.
It’s the 10th anniversary of A&J’s Halloween House fundraiser in Bay View, and they’re doing a Scooby-Doo theme this year.
The annual Halloween display by Andy Reid and Jamie Beauchamp-Reid at 2943 S. Clement Ave. serves as the most detailed Halloween display in Milwaukee, while also acting as a fundraiser for Pathfinders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local homeless and housing-insecure youth and young adults.
Each year, they start from scratch with a new theme, and then spend months building out their vision. In 2024, the theme was “Ancient Aliens.” In 2022, it was a spooky “Wheel of Fortune” scene. This year, they’ve built a spot-on Scooby-Doo display inspired by the original series “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” that first aired in 1969.
The display includes a two-story replica facade of the haunted mansion from the show’s opening credits and a nearly full-sized Mystery Machine with Shaggy at the wheel and Scooby riding shotgun. Classic villains like Creeper, Miner Forty-Niner and Red Beard are rendered as life-size figures. Thanks in part to sponsors, like wood donations from Bliffert Lumber, they even built a large replica of Red Beard’s ship.
They partnered with Pathfinders a decade ago because they wanted to support a local nonprofit they could trust, and that they knew was doing good work in the community, Reid told Urban Milwaukee.
“And it stuck,” he said. “So, yeah, here we are 10 years later.”
In the intervening years, Reid and Beauchamp-Reid have raised $84,000 on behalf of Pathfinders. Reid said they hope to collect $16,000 this year so they can hit $100,000 in donations for the 10th anniversary.
“The contributions have been really significant and have made a significant impact on our work,” said Katie Kuhn, Pathfinders communications manager. “And it has really allowed people who might normally not be exposed to Pathfinders work to become familiar with us and get involved and give back. So, yeah, we love A&J’s.”
Pathfinders works with young people from the ages of 11 to 25. “These might be young people who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability, maybe young people who need help being safe, who need help with their mental wellness, and they can come to us and access a variety of resources,” Kuhn said.
The organization has also, for the past 16 years, operated a housing program for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. National data suggests LGBTQ+ young people make up a disproportionate number of those facing homelessness each year.
The money Pathfinders receives through community fundraisers like A&J’s Halloween House is much more flexible than other funding sources, like grants, Kuhn said. The flexible funds allow the nonprofit to meet the “unique needs” of each young person they work with, she said.
The house is a popular destination in Bay View during Halloween. Visitors return annually to see the new displays. The house and the fundraiser often get write-ups and coverage in local media and has even been featured on ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan show.
“And they don’t do it for the recognition,” Kuhn said. “They do it because they love Halloween and they love their community.”
A&J’s Halloween Scooby-Doo Theme
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